Hereditary or election by hereditary state rulers: Identity of the head of state is determined through some form of hereditary succession, or election by state rulers who are themselves determined through hereditary succession.

Indirect election (assembly): The head of state is elected by members of the assembly. In some cases, a supermajority is absolutely required (e.g. Ethiopia); in all other cases a majority is sufficient in the final round. In Lebanon, a supermajority minimum turnout is required, which means the minority can veto by staying away from the vote.

Indirect election (assembly + regional/local representatives): The head of state is elected by the combination of assembly members and local and/or federal unit assemblies or their delegates.

Indirect election (assembly + regional/local representatives): The head of state is elected by the Assembly, but if no candidate can get the support of a two-thirds majority, the election goes to an electoral body made up of the combination of assembly members and local and/or federal unit assemblies or their delegates.

Indirect election ('electoral college' - body elected for the express purpose): The head of state is elected by a directly-elected body whose primary or sole purpose is selection of the head of state.

Direct election (plurality): The head of state is directly elected; the candidate with most votes is elected. This includes countries with ‘fused’ legislative-executive elections where the leader of the party with the most votes, sometimes subject to two rounds, becomes president (e.g. Angola).

Direct election (majority runoff with minimum regional distribution of the vote needed to win in first round): The head of state is directly elected. A candidate with a majority (50%+1) in the first round, as well as a certain minimum percentage of the vote in a certain number of regions, is elected; if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the first round, a decisive second round is held between first- and second-placed candidates.

Direct election (majority runoff): The head of state is directly elected. A candidate with a majority (50%+1) in the first round is elected; if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the first round, a decisive second round is held between first- and second-placed candidates.

Direct election (modified two-round): The head of state is directly elected. A candidate with a predefined proportion of the vote (e.g. 40%; 45% or 40% with 10% advantage) in the first round is elected; if no candidate is elected in the first round, a decisive second round is held between first- and second-placed candidates.

Direct election (alternative vote): Voters have ranked ballot. If no candidate has more than half of first-preference votes, the lowest-voted candidate is eliminated and has votes redistributed according to preferences expressed on ballots. This is repeated until some candidate has a majority (50%+1) of the votes, and that candidate is elected.